The Runners
by LilyAurora
Summary: They scrambled towards the woods, pulling at each other, moving further from the tree-line, eyes scanning the road, listening for the approaching vehicle. A dark car screeched to a stop, the drivers side door flew open.


The Runners

By LilyAurora

xoxoxox

"I really don't think this is a good Idea." Angela voiced as she stuffed her clothes into her rucksack. She had already unpacked, re-rolled and doubled checked everything twice.

"Don't start this again Ang, it's for the best. We agreed, we all did." Bella moved around her small bedroom gathering the things she needed.

"But what if we get caught?" She sighed sitting on the edge of the bed.

"We have to try. At least we can say we tried to get away, even if we do get caught. I mean who has ever tried? No one. Maybe we'll be the first to escape the run." Bella smiled confidently.

"Exactly." Leah added as she walked into the room. "Who knows maybe we will be the first, but like Bella said, we have to at least try."

"I know, I'm just so scared. No one's ever gone against the council before."

"Well there's a first time for everything." Leah added with a wink. "Come on we have to get going, it's going to get dark soon and I don't fancy our chances then."

The others nodded.

"Where's Jessica? I thought she would have been here by now?" Angela asked.

Leah shrugged. "You know what she's like, always late."

"She'll be here, don't worry." Bella added.

The girls grabbed their jackets, gathered their belongings before making their way down the stairs. It was going to be a long night.

"What time does your dad finish his shift Bella?" Angela asked.

"Eleven, he said he had to stay on finish some paperwork or something."

"It's Seven now, that should give us enough time to get out of Forks and few good miles distance before anyone notices we're gone." Leah said, tugging on the straps of her rucksack.

"Where the hell is Jessica?" Bella voiced, locking the door behind them before glancing at her phone. No missed calls or texts.

"Five minutes, that's all we can give her before we have to go." Leah replied staring into the woods. "I don't like being out here like this."

"Me neither." Angela added, shifting closer to the other girls.

The sound of a car could be heard in the distance. The girls looked from one another, the sheer terror evident in their eyes.

"Go, now." Leah shouted pushing at the others.

They scrambled towards the woods, pulling at each other, moving further from the tree-line, eyes scanning the road, listening for the approaching vehicle. A dark car screeched to a stop, the drivers side door flew open.

"Bella?" Jessica's voice rang out. "Bella?" She bellowed.

"Jess? What the hell?" Bella asked, moving forward through the trees.

"We have to go, where's Leah and Angela?" Jessica asked, opening the boot.

"What's going on?" Bella said, throwing her bag in there, Leah and Angela joining her.

"They know." Jessica replied. "I don't know how but they know. I heard dad talking to someone on the phone. I think it was Charlie, Bella. Something about road blocks or I don't know, something. But we have to go, they said they were coming here to check first, Charlie said you wouldn't do that, that you know it's the way things are done. We have to go, come on." Jessica jumped back into the driver's seat, looking to her friends before starting the engine. She slammed her foot on the gas and took off.

"Jessica, you have to calm down." Bella soothed her friend.

"They know Bella, how the hell do they know? I didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"No, Jess. You know I would never, not with dad being so close to Billy."

"Leah?" Bella asked.

"What? No frigging way, if you don't remember this was my idea. Why the hell would I risk telling anyone about it." She replied seething.

They all turned to Angela.

"I didn't mean to." She mumbled softly.

"Oh god, Ang." Bella cried out. "What did you do?"

"I only left a note, I hid it. I didn't think mom would find it yet but she must have been snooping. I'm sorry, I didn't want her to worry." Angela whispered.

"Well that's just fucking great." Leah snapped. "Months we've been planning this, months and you leave your mom a note. Jesus Angela. We said we would ring everyone when we were a safe distance. Now they know, and we're screwed."

"Calm down Lea, she didn't know OK. It's not her fault her mom found the note. Look it will be fine, hopefully what Jess said is right and they don't believe it. So let's just stick to the plan, until we know otherwise." Bella said.

The car was silent, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The soft murmur of the radio played in the background.

"Oh fuck." Jessica shouted, feet slamming on the breaks. "Yeah, I definitely think they know." She spat, slamming the car into reverse.

Bella stared out of the window to see her father, Billy Black and a few others had set up a road block.

"You are kidding me?" Leah said, twisting in her seat to get a better look. "How the hell are we going to get out of here with them blocking the only road.?" She all but screeched.

"Up the mountains." Jessica said. " It's rougher ground, and will take longer, but it's another route."

"And you don't think they would have thought of that?" Leah snarled at her friend.

"No." Bella added. "They won't realise we know about it. The roads overgrown, only hikers go that way now. When was the last time a car went that far past the Rez?"

"Years." Leah smiled. "You sure you know the way Jess?"

"Positive, we did a dummy run a few times, just in case." She added nodding to Bella.

"Why didn't you say?" Leah asked.

"The less of us who knew the better." Bella replied.

"I'm really so, very sorry." Angela added. "I didn't think."

"It's OK, don't stress about it." Leah said. "Thank god those two thought of another plan." She bumped Angela's shoulder gently.

Angela smiled.

"We're not out of the woods yet." Jessica grunted, turning the wheel sharply. "Best hold on it's going to get a little bumping."

The road was more of a track than an actually road. Tree branches scraped against the paintwork of the car, stones thudded against the under carriage.

"I'm not sure this was such a good idea." Angela said as she bounced around the back seat next to Leah.

"Thankfully no one suffers with motions sickness." Leah laughed.

"Not funny." Jess shouted. "My dad will kill me if someone pukes in here."

"Jess, I think he's going to kill you for taking the car anyway." Bella replied holding onto the arm rest. "How far Jess, I'm not sure this car will make it if the road gets any rougher."

"Well it's going to have to. It's about another 5 miles to the top, but if the tracks to overgrown we're going to have to hike the rest of the way."

"You are joking me?" Leah snapped. "Hike at night in the woods. Yeah, well we may as well give up and hand ourselves over."

"Shut up Leah, what happened to you being all confident about this."

"I was until, Angela dropped us in it and now we have to hike in the fucking woods, at night. You know they'll find us Bella. The woods are their second home. They know it better than anyone."

"I know, but hopefully they won't realise we've come this way and that we're still in Forks."

"Well let's hope so as I don't think I'll be able to drive much further." Jess voiced, just as a loud bang hit the side of the car. "There's too much rubble, the wheels are sliding and the steering's loose. I can't get a solid grip. We're going to have to hike."

Jess pulled the car over, trying to hide as much as possible in the undergrowth. Collecting their bags from the boot the girls tried to hide the rest of the car with broken branches. Anything to make the search harder. If they were going to be found at least they could make it harder for them.

The uphill walk was hard, the ground was unsteady and unused. All they knew was to head straight and up. They were miles from Forks and just as far from the Rez. The light grew dimmer as night crept on. They dare not think of what was going on back home. Their fathers would be furious. Knowing their daughters had run from their duties. Run from hundreds of years of tradition.

But if they were honest it wasn't their father's they feared. No. It was the pack. The boys who were treated like royalty. The reason they were running away from what they had been brought up to believe.

Ever since they were little, the girls of Forks were told the tale of the runners. Special girls who were picked when they turned 16 to run through the woods on a full moon. It was a privilege, only a select few would be chosen and they should be honoured, if it was them. Embrace and welcome it, they were told, to know that the chasers, were gifted and that they were a match for one of them. They didn't know who the chasers were, but as time went on stories were told of shifters, men who could turn into giant wolves. And the runners, they were taken by a shifter to be their mate, they had no choice, no say in the matter. If a mark appeared on your door within your fifteenth year, then you had been chosen as a runner and a shifter wanted you as their mate.

A loud crack froze the four girls in place. They crouched close to the ground, eyes scanning the surrounding area.

"Do you think..." Angela began but was quickly silenced by Bella's stare. A few more minutes passed with only the sound of the woods.

"Come on, I think it's safe." Leah confirmed, standing and pulling her bag tighter. "We have to gain more ground just in-case. They're fast on two legs, we've all seen them on the cliffs and beaches. Heaven knows what they're like on four."

Angela shivered. "This sucks." She mumbled.

"Well..." Jess started hooking her arm through Angela's, "...never a dull moment is there. At least we can say we tried even if we do get caught."

"Not funny." Angela laughed bumping Jessica's hip.

"You OK Bella? You're quiet." Leah asked her friend as she slowed down to walk besides her.

"Yeah, just thinking. I mean you all remember the stories from when we were little about the runners, but how could something like this have gone on for so long and no one said anything. I mean, I get that Forks is small but still, to allow their daughters to be picked off by a... a pack of wolves is just wrong."

"It's been going on for hundreds of years Bella, you know this. It was agreed with our forefathers that to protect the land from the cold ones, runners would be picked from the females from both Forks and the Rez. I agree with you it's not right, we shouldn't have our decisions taken from us. I mean fuck, when I seen that blood red mark on my door... I couldn't look at my dad. He was so happy I had been picked. So proud. Being Quileute and chosen to be a mate, he believes it to be one of the highest privileges. He didn't understand why I would disagree."

"It takes away our choices." Jessica voiced. "Don't get me wrong, I've seen them boys and sure as hell none of them look 16 or 18, but I would like to be able to pick who I end up with. Not have some shifter pick me because I smell good."

"Oh, I can assure you, you smell pretty damn good." A dark voice rumbled from within the trees.

"Holy shit." Leah shouted. "Who's there?" She asked grabbing at the others to pull them closer.

"Did you think you would actually get away from us?" Another voice called out from the dark.

"Silly little runners." Whispered another.

"Show yourselves." Bella called out. "Who's there?"

"Now now, little bird don't go demanding. Not since you're in the wrong. Running away. Tutt tutt."

"Paul? Oh you are fucking kidding me." Bella groaned. A deep chuckle was her only reply.

"Look..." Jess began, before being cut off.

"You ran." A deep voice called out. "You ran from your duties."

"We didn't ask for this." Bella shouted.

"Be quiet!" He roared. "You knew. You always knew. Every one of you were told of the stories. Were brought up knowing what could be."

"But it's not fair." Angela whispered.

"You think we don't agree. You think this is how we want to pick our life mates, chasing them through the woods like animals. We don't, but it's how it must be done. How it's always been done."

"No." Leah ground out. "We won't do it."

"You don't have any choice. You have been chosen. You will never settle with another, the older you get the more you will yearn, the more the ache will grow. You will always feel like something is missing. And we, we will never stop looking for you."

"Just let us go." Jessica cried.

Her pleas were ignored.

"We will give you a ten minute start. Then the run will begin." The same strong, controlled voice rang out.

"What?" The girls screamed. "No, you can't."

"We can and will. Or would you prefer we pick you off now." A deep growl filled the air.

"Go," Bella shouted pushing at the others. "Run."

The girls ran. Shoes digging into the ground as they tried to find leverage to move. Pulling at one another, helping each other.

"They're going to catch us." Angela panted, using a tree to pull herself forward.

"We have to try at least..." Jessica said. "How the hell did they find us?"

"They can track." Leah explained. "But even I didn't think they were that good."

"Maybe it has something to do with the mate thing." Bella stated. "I mean who ever that was made it seem to be the case."

"Jake." Angela spoke. "That was Jake."

"How do you know?" Bella asked.

"The same way you knew it was Paul." She smiled sadly.

"Oh god, no fucking way." Bella stumbled, quickly holding onto a tree. "Paul is my... oh god no."

"Don't say it." Leah snarled.

Jessica started laughing. "I can't believe this, being chased by wolves. I feel under dressed, like I should be wearing red."

"It's not funny Jess." Angela cried out. "They're going to catch us."

"I know that Angela. If you hadn't wrote your mom that fucking note..."

"Don't blame me Jessica, regardless of my note they knew. No way were they able to gather everyone up and organise a road block in less than thirty minutes."

"Angela's right, Jess. They must had suspected something. My dad's a policeman he's not stupid. Maybe I was acting weird and he picked up on it and started watching me, listening to us. So if anyone's to blame it's me."

"I'm sorry. I just don't want this. I don't want to be stuck in Forks all my life, cooking and cleaning, raising kids. I wanted to see the world, go on holiday. Visit places, wonderful places. Go to university." Jess sniffed, wiping at her eyes.

"Fuck sake." Leah cried out. "Well shift your ass or you're never going to have any of that. We have to at least try. Even if we get caught, we have to try."

The girls ran. They ran through the trees, as their hair snagged on branches, they ran as thorns scratched against their skin. They daren't look back. Their breathing loud in their own ears. Their throats burnt as they gasped for breath. Bella slipped, feet sliding on the uneven ground. Her nails dug into the earth.

"Go, don't wait for me, run." She yelled. The others looked at her before turning and running.

She couldn't get a grip, her feet kept sliding in the mud and the more she moved the slicker it became.

"Come on Bella." Leah snapped as she tugged at her friends arm.

"I told you to go." Bella shouted as she managed to get some even footing with Leah's help.

"Yeah , well I've never been one to be told what to do." She smiled, taking Bella's hand and leading her towards the others. "Plus never leave a man behind and all that."

"We're not at war Lea." Bella laughed.

"No, but we may as well be. Because if they think we're going down easily, then they have another thing coming. Come on this way."

The girls moved through the forest surprisingly quickly. They found Jess and Angela hid behind a small cluster of rocks.

"Oh thank god." Jess said as she visibly relaxed seeing it was only Bella and Leah.

"Have you seen anything?" Leah asked sitting down next to the others, Bella moving in next to her.

"No, haven't heard anything either." Jess replied. "Do you think they've given up?"

Leah laughed. "You are joking? They live for this shit, tracking and hunting. They're predators Jess. Wolves. They are going to draw out every second of this run."

"Wolves." Angela said shaking her head. "Do you think they're like a real pack? I mean with an Alpha, Beta etc?"

"No idea and I really don't care." Leah snapped. "Why do you care anyway? Since when have you been an expert on wolves?"

"I'm not, I was just asking?" Angela mumbled.

"Will the two of you stop it." Jessica huffed as she leaned against a rock. "I'm sweating my butt off and all you two can do is argue over fucking wolves, well newsflash we are going to end up as wolf wives if we don't fucking shift it." She yelled.

"She's right." Bella agreed. "We need to move. They have to be close."

"Of course they are..." Angela butted in. "They're hunting us down. I wouldn't be surprised if they picked us off one by one."

"Who do you think the Alpha is, if they have one?" Jessica asked scanning the surrounding trees.

"Jake." Angela and Leah said at the same time.

"How do you know?" Bella asked looking between them.

Leah shrugged. "Billy's chief so I just assumed."

"I can feel it." Angela explained. "I don't know how, but I just know."

"He's yours isn't he?" Bella voiced softly. "Jake's your mate?"

Angela nodded. "I think so. It's a strange feeling I get sometimes, like an ache or a yearning. I'm not really sure which, but then somehow he appears. This one time I was grocery shopping for my mom, and all of a sudden I felt weird. Light headed, dizzy you know? Right next to the frozen pizzas, so I quickly finished and left, as I was loading the car I suddenly felt calm. I looked around me and there he was, stood in the tree line a fair way down the road, but I knew exactly who it was."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Jessica asked.

Angela shook her head. "I didn't want to believe it. The same when the mark appeared on my door, mom and dad were so proud, but I just sat there shell shocked, I couldn't even speak. Then to find out that you're mated to Jacob Black, the future Chief and possible Alpha. Yeah, that was something not easily digested."

"Holy shit." Leah gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she slowly stood.

"What? What's wrong?" Jessica panicked looking around.

"Embry, oh shit. Embry's my... god damn it no. No fuckin way! Embry really?"

"Well if Embry's yours, Jake's Angela's and Paul's Bella's? Then who's mine?" She asked looking between the others.

"Quil." They all replied together.

"No!" Jessica all but screeched. "He's a pain in the ass, I mean really? Why me? He is the biggest perv of all time and I've known a fair few. Really, Quil?" She huffed, arms crossing against her chest.

The others laughed at her reaction.

"It's not that bad." Bella tried to reason. "I mean it could be worse."

"Really Bella? How? How could it be any worse?"

"It could have been Seth, no offence Leah." Bella said laughing.

"Seth is gorgeous." Jessica replied smiling.

"Seth is also only 14, so get your mind out of the gutter." Leah snapped.

The others laughed as Leah continued to glare at Jessica.

"Well I was just saying… don't glare at me Leah because I can appreciated your brothers good looks." Jessica laughed, dodging Leah's swinging arm.

"You are not funny." Leah snarled playfully.

"Shut up grumpy knickers. I'm hysterical." Jessica called over her shoulder as she moved between the trees.

"We have to keep moving." Bella called out. "They won't be far behind us."

The others trudged on. Winding through the low hanging trees, trying to find an escape. To where they didn't know, all they knew is they had to get away. This life which had been dictated for them wasn't something they wanted. All of them wanted more from life, wanted to see new things, experience college. Have jobs and decide for themselves who they wanted to spend their lives with. Not have some cosmic shit decide for them, this wasn't how their lives were supposed to be. This wasn't who they truly were.

"Where's Angela?" Bella asked looking around.

"She was just here." Leah screeched. "She was just, fuckin behind me."

"No way." Jessica whispered. "No way in hell, how did he get her? How the hell did he do that without us seeing him."

"We are so screwed. So very fucking screwed." Leah stated staring at the remaining two.

"Come on we have to go, move it now!" Bella snapped pushing at Leah and Jessica. "Stay close. Keep an eye on each other."

"It won't do you any good." A voice sung out from the darkness.

"Fuck off Paul." Bella snarled.

"You think you're going to get away from us, from me?" He laughed then, deep and humorless.

"I'm going to try my hardest." Bella replied.

"And then there were two." Another voice called out.

Bella froze...

"Jess?" She whispered. Eyes locking onto Leah, who was slowly edging her way towards Bella.

"Not as clever as you think, are you Isabella."

"We have to make a run for it." Leah whispered.

Bella shook her head. "We won't make it."

"News flash Bella. We're not going to make it period."

"Leah…"

"No, we're not; we have to face it Bella. We tried our hardest, we did but somethings are just unavoidable. Do you think, do you really believe that if we had made it out we would have been free? They would have come for us Bella. Eventually they would have found us. If what they said was true, about the yearning, then we would have let them. You heard what Angela said, she knew Jake was hers. Somehow she knew. We know as well. You can feel it, just like I can." Leah looked at her friend, taking her hand as she smiled softly.

"I know, I've always known. But we had to try." Bella replied.

"Damn right we did. But promise me this, do not make it easy for him. You make him fucking work for you. Make him work damn hard." Leah pleaded squeezing her hand.

"I will. I promise." Bella smiled.

"Good. Now, you go that way and I'll go this way. Run hard OK. Run as fucking hard as you can, until you can't run any more. If they want runners, we'll give them fucking runners." Leah smiled that beautiful smile of hers.

Bella nodded.

"See you soon." Leah whispered then she was gone, running through the trees. Crashing from the right was the only indication of how close Embry had been. Bella scanned the area trying to see any trace of Paul. But it was too dark and dense.

"Fuck." Bella shook her legs out before taking a few deep breaths. "Fuck it." She spat before taking off in the opposite direction of Leah.

The pounding of her own heart was deafening. She daren't look behind her. Didn't want to risk seeing a giant wolf chasing her. That alone may cause her to have a heart attack. She jumped over tree roots, avoided low branches and ill placed rocks. Finally she could hear loud thunderous crashing to her left. Paul. He had finally caught up to her. She glanced quickly catching a huge form in the corner of her eye.

"Fuck that." She panted, turning sharply. Loud snarly was all she heard as she dove into a thick group of brambles. She needed just a moment to catch her breathe.

"Come out, come out wherever you are?" Paul sung. "I know you're in there Bella. I can smell you."

Bella covered her mouth with her own hands.

"I like your determination Bella. It shows us you're not weak. Any of you. I have to admit, we were surprised to say the least. When we found out what you all had done, oh don't get me wrong we were pissed as hell, but also proud. Proud in the knowledge that none of you are weak. We don't want a weak mate Isabella. We want strength, someone who can stand next to us."

"But why like this? It's barbaric."

"It's how it has been done for hundreds of years. You know this Bella. It's tradition."

"It's archaic." She argued.

"We know." Paul roared. "Don't you think we know this? But you don't understand. None of you do, what it's like living with a wild animal inside of you. Fighting with it daily. Having the strength to control it and not, kill and take what you want, what is rightfully ours."

"There should be another way?" Bella whispered.

"Maybe one day there will be. I hope so, we all do. But until that time comes this is all we know."

"I don't want an unhappy life." Bella stated, her fingers stumbling upon a small rock.

"Come out Bella. It's time to go back." Paul ignored her.

She held the rock within her palm, watching as the large figure paced a few feet from her hiding place.

"You're starting to annoy me Isabella. Come out now." Paul snarled.

"No, I don't think I will." She replied as she hurled the rock as hard as she could. She smiled as it landed in another dense part of the forest.

"You sneaking little…" Paul yelled before snarling and running towards the sound.

Bella wasted no time in high tailing it out of there. She scrambled backwards, making her way through the thick brambles, not caring about the marks the thorns were leaving on her skin. All she cared about was getting as far away from Paul as possible. She wasn't going to make this easy for him, no fucking chance. She clawed at the ground, digging her way uphill. Holding on to anything that would aid her escape.

"Bella." The roar from Paul had her stumble slightly. "I can see you." He taunted.

She chanced a look down, spotting him she willed herself to move faster, he wasn't close, but if he shifted he would be on her in a heartbeat.

"Stop running Bella." Paul shouted, "there's no where for you to go."

"Fuck off." Bella roared back.

Laughter was her only reply.

Her lungs burned. She was surprised she hadn't passed out, or fallen over and knocked herself out. That was usually her kind of luck. Tree branches snapping pulled her from her thoughts.

There in front of her stood Paul. His dark eyes fixed on her.

"Shit." She breathed out.

He smirked taking a step closer, only for Bella to take a step back. He didn't like that, not from the low growl he gave her.

"What, you thought I was just going to give myself over to you?" Bella hissed.

"Something like that." He replied, eyes never leaving hers.

"Sorry to disappoint you."

"Trust me Bella, I'm far from disappointed." He moved again, smirking as Bella retreated further back.

"I don't want this Paul."

Hurt flashed across his face for a fleeting moment, only to be masked with that arrogant smirk.

"Sorry to be the one to disappoint you." He spat.

"No, that's not what I meant." Bella began. "This whole situation, it's difficult for me, for us to understand. Yes, I know we were brought up with the stories, but it doesn't tell us anything. All the information is crossed. One says this, while another says that. I just don't like not knowing."

"You think we know more than you?" He asked. "You think we were prepared for the agonising pain we go through every time we shift. That we knew how to cope with these new bodies, and feelings. To be bombarded with images from each others minds when we do phase. To think that you're going insane because no where, not anywhere is any of this written down. All we had were old writings, but none of it made any sense, so we cope the best we can, we talk to each other. We're more than a pack. We're family. And then once we think we had a handle on phasing, that we're coping. Bam! Mating is thrust upon us before we have time to think… and the urges. Jesus, you have no idea what we have to go through. How we have had to stop each one in turn from going to our chosens house and just taking them. Whisking them away from this bullshit. But it's tradition and we can't go against it, so before you think you have it hard, Isabella. Take a moment to think of the one's who have to battle a beast every minute of the day."

His hot breath sent shivers down her spine. When had to gotten so close. He had her pressed against a tree. Not touching her, just hovering.

"We didn't know. I didn't realize."

"Why would you? Why would any of you think about what we were going through? To concerned with your own fates to worry about anyone else."

"That's not fair Paul." Bella whispered.

He closed his eyes at the sound of his name.

"No, maybe it's not. But it's the truth." His eyes snapped open, as she stared at Bella. "You have until the count of 30 then I will claim what is mine." He told her.

"What?" She asked, as her heart hammered against her chest.

"If I were you, I'd start running." He told her.

"Paul…" she began.

"One…"

"Fuck." She hissed, before pushing away from the tree, away from his warmth.

"Two." She heard as the gap grew between them. Three was all but a faint whisper. She continued to count in her mind as she ran, she had no idea where she was going. Bella stumbled slightly, losing count as she fell hard against the ground.

"Shit." She groaned, holding onto her arm. The knees of her jeans were ripped, her skin grazed. "Great, get up Bella." She told herself. "Get up and move." She had lost count, had no idea if Paul was already tracking her. She didn't want to think about that. Didn't want to know how close he was.

She pulled herself to her feet. Hands stinging as she held on to the rough bark. She was tired, so tired. She had been running for what felt like hours, the adrenaline finally wearing off, leaving her dead on her feet. She wouldn't give in, she would keep going until she collapsed. Until she had no energy left.

She stumbled again, managing to grab hold of a nearby branch to steady herself. She wondered how the others were doing. Angela was already in acceptance, she knew by the way she had spoke of Jake. How strong their connection already seemed. Jessica would give Quil a run for his money that's for sure, she smiled at the thought, and Leah, well she felt sorry for Embry. If her scathing looks didn't put you in your place, Leah's tongue would.

Lost in thought she didn't see Paul's huge form, lunge towards her. His arms wrapping around her smaller frame as they tumbled to the forest floor. The wind knocked from her for a moment before realization set in and she began to fight back.

"Get off me." She yelled. Arms and legs hitting out as she tried to free herself.

Paul ignored her. His fingers tightened around her arms as he sniffed her. "Why are you bleeding?" He asked intense eyes watching her closely.

"I fell over and don't act like you care." She snapped, twisting in his arms.

"Stop struggling Bella."

"Fuck off." She barked, legs kicking. Smiling as he hissed when she caught his shin.

"Isabella." He warned.

"It's Bella, you jerk."

"I didn't want to do it like this, Isabella, but you're not giving me much choice." He spoke quietly, hands moving over her as he tilted her head to the side.

"What are you doing? Paul? No, you can't mark me. You can't."

"You ran Bella. You all did. We have the right to mark what is ours."

"We were running from you. To get away."

"That makes no difference Bella. As the chosen you ran, regardless of why. If you had just stayed at home, if you hadn't run."

"Then what?" She lashed out. "If we had stayed at home what?"

"You could have refused to run." He replied sniffing along the expanse of exposed skin.

"No." She gasped. "No, you're lying."

"I'm really not." He chuckled. "You all unknowingly became runners. All four of you sealed your fate the moment you left Jessica's car and ran up the mountain. That to us was all we needed. Our wolves seen it as an open invitation to claim their mates. So we did."

"Oh god." Bella cried. Paul's larger form pressed against hers. His hands held her head in place as she licked her neck. She knew their was nothing she could do, there was no escape for her now. Her fate had been sealed. But if he thought she was going to bend over willingly just because he marked her. Well he was in for a very rude awakening.

"Wanted you for years." He whispered. Rough hands smoothing through her knotted hair.

"What?" She asked.

He looked at her then, eyes flicking between amber and brown. His wolf so close to the surface. He brushed his nose against hers. A low rumble escaped him as he tried to find the right words.

"It was me who found you that night in the woods. Not Sam. They said it would be too obvious, that you would figure it out."

"Figure what out?"

"That we were mated." He growled, head dipping as he pressed his nose against her form inhaling her scent. "When he chased you into the woods, he was going to kill you. You know that right? All that leech wanted to do was feed from you, kept saying you were his singer and he must taste you."

"I didn't know… why didn't anyone tell me."

"I was so angry Bella. So scared. I couldn't control my wolf. He went mad, tore him apart if it wasn't for Sam and Jared I would have killed him."

"The treaty."

"Exactly. So Billy told them to leave, said they couldn't return for 200 hundred years. What he had done, trying to kill you was unforgivable, but when they found out you were my mate. Billy had them leave the next day. He said I was within my rights to kill him but I didn't want to do that, as angry as I was, once I had control over my wolf I just wanted them to leave. How could I tell you one day I had killed someone."

"I would have understood."

"I wasn't willing to take the risk." He snarled then, head snapping back and forth, eyes glowing amber as he stared down at her. "I can't hold him back much longer Isabella."

Closing her eyes, Bella took a deep breath as she turned her head further to the side, exposing more of her neck. The feral growl that ripped from Paul had the hairs on her arms standing on end.

The heavy weight of his body was all she felt before hot searing pain tore into her skin. She kicked her legs as Paul's teeth dug deeper into her flesh. Her large hands pinned her to the earth as he growled against her skin. Jaw locking as he shook her in warning. Bella stopped struggling. Tears fell from her eyes as the pain peaked. Her fingers dug into Paul's arms as she let lose a whimper. Her eyes grew heavy, her grip loosening as she began to drift, the pain easing as her eyes finally closed.

Paul drew back, carefully removing his teeth from his mate's neck. Bella had passed out from the pain. He licked her wound, cleaning away any blood that may have escaped. He looked down at her, the mark clear and strong against her white skin. He wanted to roar into the night sky. Howl at the moon, telling all he had claimed his mate. He did neither. He carefully picked Bella up, moving quickly and silently through the trees. They weren't as far from La Push as they thought. Within minutes they were breaking through the tree-line, Paul's long strides making short work of the distance to his home. He pushed the door open, manoeuvring himself through his house before laying Bella down on his bed. Listening to her heartbeat. Pleased with how steady it was before retreating to the living room.

He lifted the phone from it's cradle, dialing the number he was given weeks ago.

"It's done." He spoke into the phone. "She's here safe."

"Did you mark her?" Was the reply.

"Yes. I've claimed her as my mate."

"Good." The heavy sigh was all Paul needed to know that he had done the right thing. "She will be pissed as hell. I hope you know that."

"Oh I know." Paul replied.

"Give her time. She's hot headed but not irrational."

"I never expected this to be easy, Charlie." Paul told the other man.

"Good, cos that girl is going to give you a run for your money, Paul Lahote. That I can promise you." The line went dead.

Paul shook his head smiling as he placed the phone back. He crept quietly back towards his bedroom, checking on Bella, to make sure she was ok. Her breathing was normal, her heart steady and the mark healing nicely on her flesh.

All he had to do was wait for her to wake up.

He knew this wasn't going to be easy. She may have willingly let him mark her, but she wasn't going to give in so easily. None of them were. But it sure as hell was going to be fun finding out.


End file.
